Posted on 12/13/2022 1:15:40 PM PST by Pilsner
“Russia apparently still has some 1,500 of them.”
If nations were people, Russia would be that weird neighbor who has a huge yard, but it’s full of junk because he never throws anything out.
The Po-2 and the nachthexen are next. Or mine dogs.
“Any modern armed light trainer plane would make mincemeat out of An-2 biplanes in a hurry. Ditto for the slow & noisy Iranian drones, too.”
The Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucanos the US left in Afghanistan would be perfect for this.
Cheap, not too fast (which is hilarious for a jet guy to say, but applies here with something that is not shooting back), put 6-8 machine gun pods on them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embraer_EMB_314_Super_Tucano
Well, I was apparently not the only one who thought the Tuscano would be perfect.
For reasons unknown, the Brazilian president blocked the deal:
https://tecnodefesa.com.br/?option=com_content&id=976
From wiki:
On December 4, 2022, the Brazilian media reported a Ukrainian interest in the Super Tucano, to equip the Air Force in the Russo-Ukrainian War efforts. The sale was blocked by the Bolsonaro administration.[151] Also was reported a diplomatic effort by the United States to dissuade the president-elect of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, to unblock the deal.[151]
#UkraineWinning
“Although a biplane, from all accounts the An-2 is a very useful and versatile airplane”
North Korea has some AN-2 as well. Apparently better maintained than their jets.
I’m no pilot but have read that given sufficient headwind the plane has such a low stall speed that it can hover in place or even fly backward.
Why the “H” would the US block the deal? More pee-in-our-pants fear of Pooty?
You have that backwards.
But still a quandary.
Actually, I’m more inclined to “follow the money” and think our defense industry lobbyists were involved, to help pad their bosses’ nests.
You very well could be right.
I work for a defense contractor that is extremely honest but it’s because it exists for different purposes than most.
But I work with the big airframe guys a lot. Not overly impressed.
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